OPTIONS FOR INVESTMENTS IN FRESH PRODUCE WHOLESALE MARKETS Presented at the Dialogue Process around Agricultural Water Management solutions National Level Stakeholders Consultation Meeting on 17-18 February 2011 at Zambezi Source Lodge in Kabwe By Munguzwe HICHAAMBWA, Food Security Research Project 1 Background The livelihoods of rural households largely depend on the growing and selling of different types of crops Especially, growers and sellers of fruits and vegetables (fresh produce) are more likely to increase their incomes than cereal growers But, markets for fresh produce have been the most neglected in Zambia. Improved market performance for fresh produce can improve rural livelihoods in developing countries such as Zambia: They are of higher value and yields per unit area can be high They provide opportunities for Value addition and improved nutrition 2
Fresh produce an important smallholder income source in Zambia Although only 20% sell due to poor markets especially at the urban wholesale level Total per capita income for sellers is US$183 per annum compared to US$139 for non sellers Fresh produce forms 18% of total hh income, and 39% of total hh cash income Unfortunately, only 15% of sellers are female headed households, as women are more vulnerable to imperfect markets 3 Demand for fresh produce in urban consumption areas is very high A consumption and expenditure survey in the urban centers of Lusaka, Kitwe, Kasama and Mansa has shown that fresh produce form an important part of urban hh s budget This expenditure creates market for fresh produce produced by farmers The linkage between urban consumption areas and rural production areas is important as: It Is Markets That Stimulate Production And Not Vice Versa. 4
Fresh produce 2 nd only to cereals & staples Urban household expenditure shares of different food groups per adult equivalent Food Items Lusaka Kitwe Mansa Kasama Weighted No. of Households 267,934 78,398 9,305 20,769 ------------ % of Food Expenditures-------------- Cereals & staples 24.1 27.4 28.0 27.2 Dairy items 5.2 3.6 1.7 2.0 Meat & eggs 16.8 15.6 12.7 14.5 Fish 7.6 8.4 12.4 12.5 Vegetables 13.7 15.0 11.4 14.2 Fruits 3.6 4.0 3.7 4.0 Legumes 3.7 3.4 3.7 3.7 Sugar & oils 7.9 8.9 8.5 8.7 Other foods 4.7 4.8 4.7 6.0 Tobacco & alcohol 5.3 4.6 6.3 4.0 Food away from home 7.3 4.3 6.9 3.2 Total % Source: CSO/MACO/FSRP Urban Consumption Survey, 2007-2008 100 100 100 100 Fresh produce share ranges from 15% to 19% of total expenditure on food 5 Fresh produce is predominantly channeled through traditional markets Percent fresh produce market share by urban centre Market channel Lusaka Kitwe Mansa Kasama Traditional system 96.8 97.6 95.7 97.0 Modern system 3.2 2.4 4.3 3.0 Total 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 Supermarkets and minimarts Traditional markets and informal selling points 6
% Share of modern market system by household income level Urban area Income level Low Medium High Lusaka 0.4 1.2 9.5 Kitwe 0.9 1.2 7.5 Mansa 0.2 2.8 9.8 Kasama 0.3 1.4 6.2 Modern market system (grocer/mini-mart/supermarkets) share highest among the high income group. But still share is much less compared to that of the traditional market system (90.2% to 93.8%) within this income group 7 Role of Wholesale Markets (Soweto in Lusaka) 8
Plays important role in collecting produce from different parts of the country, and even from outside the country The 3 main supply districts in Soweto (January 15, 2007 to January 15.2009 Tomato Rape Onion District Share (%) District Share (%) District Share (%) Chongwe 21.6 Chongwe 71.1 Mugabi 30.3 Lusaka 19.0 Chibombo 12.3 S/Africa 27.5 Mkushi 17.0 Mumbwa 12.0 Lusaka 21.0 Total 57.6 95.4 78.8 Tomato supplied came from a total of 17 districts Rape came from 10 districts Onion came from 19 districts Areas outside the country were also treated as districts Mugabi, S/Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe Mugabi is an area on Zambia-Malawi border 9 Nominal value of annual flow through Soweto very significant Total nominal value of annual flow of the 3 staple vegetables in Soweto Crop Total nominal value of annual flow K 000,000 US$ 000 Tomato 33,344 6,669 Rape 5,036 1,007 Onion 27,509 5,502 Total 65,889 13,178 Total value of flow for only 3 crops; consider the total number of fresh produce crops flowing through the market 10
Soweto market redistributes produce to areas outside Lusaka 38% of onion entering the Lusaka market system is exported through Soweto Market to the Copperbelt, DRC 31% of tomato entering the Lusaka Market system is exported through Soweto Market to the Copperbelt, DRC, Livingstone, Namibia 21% and 16% of onion and tomato is distributed to institutional consumers within Lusaka 11 Yet physical conditions are deplorable! Extremely muddy in the rain season Very dusty in the dry season 12
Its largely congested, chaotic and disorderly Disorderly selling arrangements as well as human and vehicular traffic Almost all sales by farmers especially the SSFs have to be done through brokers/agents Brokers agree 10% commission with farmers, but usually get an additional 10% without the farmers consent. No levies are paid to the market 13 All these mitigate against supplies from rural farmers which are important for rural poverty alleviation Apart from poor infrastructure, the law of the jungle under which the brokerage systems operates discourages farmer participation in these supply chains No doubt, brokers/agents the world over play an important role in trade and charge about 10% commission In south Africa, the market gets 5%, the broker about 7.5% (making a total of 12.5% compared to our 20%) and the system is well regulated and various services provided 14
Summing up and investment issues Urban agricultural wholesale markets play a very critical role in linking up rural supply areas with urban consumption areas This linkage stimulates supply from the production areas Fresh produce wholesale markets in particular require special facilities and their development has been long over due The development of these markets have been neglected for very long time thus denying rural farmers income earning opportunities 15 As a matter of urgency a well designed fresh produce wholesale market in Lusaka needs to be developed: Concrete slab for cleaning and drainage, roofing Designated entry/exit points for vehicular/human traffic Loading/off loading bays, storage facilities, etc With better ownership and management involving the private sector (PPPS), including farmers With better market and supply chain information flow This could be followed by development of other strategically located markets on the Copperbelt, Livingstone/Choma, Eastern Province, etc and in the region These would then be linked with transparent market and supply chain information to enable producers/traders choose which market to 16 supply at which time
Current status of Soweto wholesale market offers opportunities to: To identify a new site and develop with proper rules and regulations (brokerage) At the same time stakeholders sensitization (farmers, traders, brokers/agents) Development of appropriate information systems Development of grades and standards When functional, only allow players who can abide by the rules and regulations Only allow brokers who have been trained and certified 17 A word of caution: Stakeholder involvement including farmers important in physical design and ownership and management arrangements Its important that these developments need to be preceded by learning experiences from other countries in the region. A working group is in the process of forming a Horticultural Association of Zambia - policy lobbying and dialogue platform. Other stakeholder efforts including the Sangonet/IDE initiative, this project and the ADB s/mlgh/maco market development initiative can work as synergies to achieve this. 18
Should such wholesaling facilities be acceptable? THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION From your regional perspective: Are fresh produce growers/sellers more likely to have better livelihoods? Where and through what means do most of the smallholders sell their vegetables? What constraints are faced by smallholders when selling vegetables? Would there still need for the smallholders to strive to penetrate the supermarket channels after the traditional market system was improved? 20